Lions need to look for pass rusher in draft

Among other positions, the Detroit Lions need a pass rusher for next season whether through free agency or the draft.

If ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper is correct, the Lions could select outside linebacker Jarvis Jones with the fifth overall pick when the draft opens on April 25.

Kiper produced his first mock draft on Wednesday.

A big question with Jones is his health, specifically if he would be cleared by doctors to play following a neck injury in 2009.

It’s possible that question won’t be answered until the NFL Combine which starts Feb. 20 or later.

“For me Jarvis Jones, if he’s there at five, the only thing that would prevent him from going a little higher we’ll see how the medical checks out with the neck injury he got at USC,’’ Kiper said in a conference call on Wednesday..

Jones, who is 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, played at USC as a freshman and suffered a neck injury that was diagnosed as spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column that puts pressure on the spinal cord.

The USC doctors would not clear him to play. So he transferred to Georgia where he was cleared by doctors and played two seasons.

If his neck is fine, he could be a solid pick. Kiper has rated him as the No. 1 player on his big board all along and calls him an “exceptional pass rusher.”

Kiper says he can line up on either side and will flat-out make plays. He led the nation in sacks (14.5).

“He brings a workmanlike effort and will sack quarterbacks, and skip the dance as he helps them up. A mature player and a good fit on any team, and within any system,’’ Kiper said in his mock draft notes.

In his two seasons at Georgia, Jones had 28 sacks, 155 total tackles, 44 tackles for loss, nine forced fumbles, and one interception.

“At linebacker you could use Jones like a Von Miller has been used in Denver. It doesn’t have to be the 3-4 outside linebacker spot, that was kind of a misnomer. ... You see what Von Miller means for that defense in Denver,’’ Kiper said.

Miller, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the second overall pick in 2011, plays outside linebacker in their 4-3 defense. He’s had 30 sacks in his first two seasons including 18.5 in 2012.

Jones is not the only elite pass rusher considered to be a top-five pick in this year’s draft.

Defensive end Damontre Moore (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) out of Texas A&M is highly regarded. Kiper has him going at the No. 2 spot to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Although cornerback is another Lions’ need, Kiper has Alabama’s Dee Milliner going to the Philadelphia Eagles with the fourth overall pick.